


The Last Avenger

by alexcat



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Community: getyourwordsout, Ficlet, Gen, the avengers future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 18:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15563364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat
Summary: Stephanie Stark is collecting white elephants for the Smithsonian.





	The Last Avenger

**Author's Note:**

> For Idiomatic Challenge at GYWO - I drew White Elephant.

The Last Avenger 

The Earth had survived the threats from humans - global warming, fascism, Kardashians – and aliens – the Chitauri, Thanos, Peter Quill. The mighty heroes were no more. Most had died out, their superpowers not giving all of them super long lives. Most of their gear had been packed up in boxes at the UN for safekeeping. After all, one might someday have need of Bruce Banner’s super stretchy Hulk pants. Right? 

Stephanie Stark was in charge of the cleanup. She was the granddaughter of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. No, Steve and Tony didn’t have children with each other, but they did have children with women they married and their children married each other. 

Stephanie Stark worked for the Smithsonian Museum of American History as the curator. Her job was to find and display white elephants, those things that were too valuable to throw out but of no actual use to anyone. Like Grandpa Stark’s suit and Papa Steve’s shield. 

No one needed these things anymore, right? She just had to convince her grandfathers and the UN to let her take them. No one could use them anyway, could they? No one needed to use them since the world was now peaceful and safe. 

She hailed a taxi and went to see Grandpa Stark first. 

“But it’s just sitting in a box! You can’t wear it anymore!” She said to an elderly Tony Stark. His hair was white, though still quite thick and he still wore his signature beard. He was a little slower but he still worked on new technology at Stark Industries. He still talked rapid fire and his favorite person was mostly himself, second only to his family: Pepper, his son, Howard, and Stephanie. 

“I might! What if aliens attack?” 

“There are younger people who will fight them, Grandpa!”

“Bu -”

“Come on. If you need the suit, I’m sure you can get it back.” 

He agreed and then whispered, “Don’t tell your grandma.” He opened his shirt and wore a small ARC reactor on his chest. “I can call it when I need it.” 

“Does that mean I can take it?” 

He nodded. “You know I can’t say no to you, my little Pepper Sprout!” 

He hastily buttoned his shirt when he heard Pepper coming. “Do I hear Stephanie? Did you finally get the suit out of him?”

Stephanie hugged her grandmother. “I did! I have to run, Grandma. But I’ll be back Tuesday for dinner.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Pepper was a little grey and had a few wrinkles but she was still as tall and elegant as ever. When they got out of Tony’s earshot, she whispered, “I know he still has a damned ARC reactor, but don’t you dare tell him I know!” 

Stephanie grinned and nodded. It was almost impossible to pull the wool over Grandma’s eyes. 

*

Her next stop was an estate on Long Island. Papa Steve and her grannies lived in a huge mansion built by a long forgotten millionaire. Theirs was still a rather unusual relationship, but not unheard of now. Grandpa Steve was married to Granny Sharon, who was her biological grandmother and the two of them considered Granny Natasha their other life partner. It had only been in the last five years that the law had changed so they could all be married. 

Granny Natasha had been married to Bruce Banner but his exposure to Gamma radiation and the prolonged period that he had stayed the Hulk before the Infinity War had taken its toll and Banner had died before he turned sixty. 

Papa Steve had always loved Natasha and so had Granny Sharon so they all became a partnership. Papa Steve looked to be about in his mid-forties now and her Grannies looked to be very lucky women in their mid-sixties, though they were a bit older than that. 

“How is Margaret?” Papa asked. His only child was named for Sharon’s Aunt Peggy, the woman Steve had loved way back in his first lifetime. 

“She’s fine. She and Daddy are visiting Uncle Clint’s farm. You know how Mama likes driving that old tractor for Uncle Clint.” 

Steve smiled. “Tony called and said you wanted to put my shield in the Smithsonian. He finally gave permission to use the suit?” 

“He did. Will you?” 

He motioned her close. “On one condition. You and I know what no one but Margaret and Shuri do, not your father or your grannies. You have to keep doing what you are doing and never tell anyone else, unless your own children are like you.” 

They had a big secret. It turned out that the super soldier serum could be replicated. But it was only by heredity. Margaret had Steve’s strength and longevity and it had passed down to Stephanie. 

The world was not quite as safe as people thought and there was still an Avenger out there righting wrongs and protecting the innocent. She wore a suit very similar to her grandfather’s, carried a vibranium shield made for her by Shuri of Wakanda and no one knew who she really was. 

They called her the Last Avenger.


End file.
